[NCUC-DISCUSS] Nomination of Ms. Mili Semlani to NCUC Executive Committee

[Ginger Paque]

I'm not from Asia Pacific, but I confidently endorse Mili Semlani's
nomination, particularly appreciating her work as curator of the Digital
Watch Observatory freedom of the press issues and updates, and for the
reasons she expresses in her statement of acceptance.

Thanks to everyone who is involved.
Ginger

*Ginger (Virginia) Paque*

IG and E-diplomacy Programs Manager
DiploFoundation

WMO | 7bis, Avenue de la Paix | 1202 Geneva - Switzerland


On Thu, May 5, 2022 at 12:39 AM Mili Semlani <milisemlani at gmail.com> wrote:

> Hello NCUC community,
> Thank you, @Ken for the nomination.
>
> Now that my professional and personal life are relatively under control, I
> have the bandwidth to rejoin the EC and continue my work for the APAC
> community.
>
> I accept the nomination. Please find below my candidate statement for the
> NCUC EC-APAC position.
>
> *Name*: Mili Semlani
> *Region of residence*: Asia Pacific
> *Gender*: Female
> *Employment*: Journalist and Community Manager @e27 <https://e27.co/> (tech
> startup publication in Southeast Asia); Founder and leader at Youth4IG
> <https://youth4ig.asia/>
> *Conflict of interest*: None
>
> *Reasons for willingness to take on the position*
> I have been involved in the IG space since 2014 as a youth ambassador (Net
> mission). That has also given me insights into recognizing and addressing
> barriers to participating and staying engaged in regional, local, and
> international forums as a youth ambassador and fellow at local and regional
> IG forums.
>
> After my first ICANN fellowship, I joined NCUC along with APRALO to
> advance my work in capacity building and understanding policymaking. Thanks
> to the community's support and fellow NCUC leaders, I was elected to the
> NCUC EC last year to represent APAC soon after. I used my term to deepen my
> understanding of managing a community and the participation gaps that
> persist for my fellow Asians.
>
> Alongside revising the mailing list and enhancing communication at NCUC
> APAC, I also steered youth in the APAC community over the past years by
> collectively submitting workshop proposals to regional IGF and public
> comments to ICANN, organizing capacity-building webinars, strengthening the
> youth voice in APAC and launching the mentorship program.
>
> I also worked as a multistakeholder steering group(MSG) member of the Asia
> Pacific IGF I am a part of the Program and Fellowship Committee and
> represented NCUC, and introduced newcomers at APrIGF 2019 in Russia on Day
> 0. I plan to use my regional connections to spread the NCUC mission and
> activate the APAC membership at NCUC.
>
>
> *Qualifications for the position*I am a tech, policy, and business
> journalist. I have reported in and about the Asian region with work
> assignments in India, Hong Kong, Indonesia, and Singapore and have a
> good understanding of our diverse region.
>
> I hold a Masters's degree in Journalism and worked as a consultant for the
> BPF Gender and Access at IGF. This experience also enhanced my knowledge in
> IG policies and divulged my interest deeper in topics related to gender and
> ICT, with a special focus on how ICT can be used to fight gender issues in
> developing Asian economies.
>
> Combining my skills as a journalist with my passion for public policy and
> interest in technology issues; it also gave me the ability to engage with
> various stakeholders of the multistakeholder process and formulate
> innovative programs to manage youth groups and volunteers leading change
> globally with a special focus on APAC.
>
> In 2019, I started Youth4IG, Asia's largest youth and the only democratic
> youth movement in Internet Governance. It is a home for youth in the
> Asia-Pacific region (APAC) to meet, share ideas, and contribute to the
> multi-stakeholder policy-making process for IG. This leadership experience
> has helped me grow as a community builder.
>
> I have been a fellow at APrIGF 2017 and 2019 and ICANN 63 and 66, inSIG
> 2018. Since then, I have been an active MSG member and co-chair of the
> Program Committee that organizes APrIGF. As a part of PC, I work on the
> sub-themes, main themes, workshop guidelines, and program evaluations each
> year. I am a member of the Drafting Committee at MSG and work on the
> Synthesis Document presented at IGF each year.
>
> *Time commitment*
> I have been part of various IG processes for over 8 years now, and I am
> well aware of the workload, volunteer burnout, and working across time
> zones. I work remotely, which aids my ability to join in meetings and spend
> the time and energy needed to serve on the Executive Committee, especially
> in such a complex environment as ICANN. I am most eager to offer my
> creativity to manage the various tasks to keep the community active and
> strong.
>
> I am motivated to make the APAC presence at ICANN not just larger but
> also, more importantly, vocal. It will be my pleasure to contribute to NCUC
> development and growth in the upcoming year.
> --
> With gratitude
> *Mili Semlani*
> Community builder
> Instagram <https://www.instagram.com/theuntraveller/> | LinkedIn
> <https://www.linkedin.com/in/milisemlani/>
>
> Join my community for millennial, Jain women at The Modern Myna
> <https://themodernmyna.substack.com/p/why-every-modern-jain-woman-needs-460>
>
>
>
> On Wed, 4 May 2022 at 04:25, Ken Herman <ken at kherman.com> wrote:
>
>> Dear NCUC
>>
>>
>>
>> It is with honor that I nominate Ms. Mili Semlani as candidate for the
>> Asia-Pacific representative to the NCUC Executive Committee. As a previous
>> member of the EC, Mili certainly is knowledgeable regarding the role of the
>> EC and the issues presented. For many years she has been an active
>> participant in Internet Governance discussions and fora, including as a
>> founder of the Youth4IG community. I believe she will contribute greatly to
>> the work of the EC.
>>
>>
>>
>> Best regards
>>
>>
>>
>> Ken Herman
>>
>>
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>>
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